Over Reliance on ECDIS

[MARITIME TRAINING SERVICES INC.] [In case of any conflict between the requirements shown in the movie and the company's safety management system (SMS),] [please follow the company's SMS requirements] ♫ [OVERRELIANCE ON ECDIS] The 4,000 ton general cargo ship Nova Cura was on its way to Ismir, Turkey when it was instructed to divert and pick up cargo at Aliaga. In response, the crew rerouted north of the Greek island of Lesbos through the Mytlini Strait. According to a Dutch Safety Board report, this is where the ships problems began. The new route was plotted without sufficient voyage planning such as conferring with local pilots or identifying sector lights that call attention to danger. Because the Nova Curas officers were overly reliant on ECDIS, they did not utilize their tried and true navigational skills. The captain, despite having 26 years total sea time, 8 with Nova Cura, did not assess the reliability [ELECTRONIC NAUTICAL CHARTS ENC] of the ships electronic nautical charts or ENCs which are displayed on ECDIS. [CATZOC CATEGORY ZONES OF CONFIDENCE] The reliability of ENCs is assessed through the category zones of confidence or the CATZOC system. The ENCs on board the Nova Cura were based on information from the 1960s [CATZOC RATING U UNASSESSED] and had a CATZOC rating of U meaning they were unassessed. The crew was unaware of this rating and did not check the charts for accuracy. [NOVA CURA 5m DRAFT] Despite having a draft of just 5 meters, the Nova Cura grounded in the shallow Lamna Reef resulting in a total loss. The ships ECDIS indicated the depth should have been 112 meters. The Lamna Reef was actually much more shallow than what was shown on the ENC chart. [WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?] Why did this happen? [HOW DO WE PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN?] How do we prevent this from occurring again? ECDIS and ENCs are seen as relatively new technology so there is an assumption they are based on modern data. This is not true. Sometimes, inaccurate data is loaded onto ENCs from paper charts. [BE AWARE IN ECDIS DEFAULT MODE] Be aware in ECDIS default mode [SECTOR LIGHTS ARE DISABLED] sector lights are disabled. ECDIS displays more information than the user can process. How to retrieve information is not always clear. Be aware of these issues and try to address them in training. Owners of shipping companies whose vessels are equipped with ECDIS are advised to follow precautions. [DETERMINE USER FAMILIARIZATION] Make sure to determine the extent [WITH CATZOC, PICK REPORTS, AND SECTOR LIGHTS] to which users are familiar with CATZOC values, the retrieval of Pick reports or chart information and the system sector light settings. [CHECK THE CATZOC RATINGS] Check the CATZOC ratings of the ENCs for the entire route [MARK AREAS THAT POSE A THREAT TO SAFE NAVIGATION] and mark the areas where there may be a threat to safe navigation. [MODERN TECHNOLOGY LIKE ECDIS SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED ALONGSIDE TRADITIONAL NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS] Remind ECDIS users that they must continue to rely on traditional navigation skills such as those required for using a paper chart alongside modern navigation technology. [CONSULT THE PICK REPORT FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] Always consult the Pick report for additional information about those areas that are relevant for safe navigation. [MARK THE RELEVANT SECTOR LIGHTS AND ENABLE SECTOR LINES] Mark the relevant sector lights for the route and enable sector lines whenever a sector light is passed. [REPEAT ALL RELEVANT PREPARATIONS WHENEVER A ROUTE IS CHANGED] Repeat all relevant voyage preparations whenever a route is changed during a voyage. New technology such as ECDIS comes with tremendous benefits to the seafarer. However, these benefits come with new challenges and risks. With proper voyage planning and awareness, severe accidents can be prevented. [MTS Maritime Training Services]